Blog No. 19by novelist Jeremy Logan -- The Existential Man in My Novels
JeremyLoganBooks.com
I have decided to change the title of my second novel, which is the first in my disaster trilogy. I'm thinking of calling it "Majeski's Ride." Vic Majeski is the main character, and one of the chapters is entitled, "The Ride of Polish Cowboy." Time will tell if it sticks or if my other idea wins out, "The Rubik Memorandum."
In any event, the star of this work is a version of the classic existential person. Although he truly enjoys companionship, he doesn't need it to be fulfilled. He is constantly distracted by the wonders of the world, nature and being alive to explore it. He is more wrapped up in his journey than any other facet of his being. If you are thinking he's egocentric, in a way, he is. But he is the opposite of the "needy" person. He doesn't need to hear how wonderful, or how this or that he is.
The real Vic Majeski is living in Florida these days. I've embellished his character for the purpose of the storyline. Have I glorified him? Perhaps. But it's his existential persona that inspired me to star him in my second novel. Picture, if you will, Mike Nesmith's song, 'A Different Drum,' and sung by Linda Ronstadt while a member of the Stone Ponies. The most telling lyric is, "It's just that I am not in the market for a boy who wants to love only me." This song made a huge impression on me as a teenager. I believe it's saying that, "Although I love you, nobody's love can fulfill all my wants and needs."
I think Nesmith, once a member of the Monkeys, could only truly be compatible with another existentialist. Anybody else would eventually smother him. I never met Nesmith. I don't him, but I feel I know of him. And that's how I see Vic Majeski.
Another opinion of mine is: Paradoxically, existentialists are women magnets. Women, especially those that have a high opinion of themselves, are drawn to existentialists. There is a certain form of indifference or arrogance that appeals to them. I think women think the existentialist does not find them all that attractive. It makes them crazy, and conversely, they want the existentialist to love them exclusively. But as the song says, that's not what the existentialist wants.
In the novel Vic is a woman magnate, and his good looks only accentuate it. He exploits this advantage to get to the evidence that identifies the bad guys. The other part of being the existentialist is that you are not easily influenced by things that prejudice the minds of others. You own the mind of the mature scientist. You need things to compute. There is only one correct answer to a mathematical theorem. If the facts or evidence does not compute or 'add up', then you know you have not reached the truth. And that's who Vic is in this story. He is searching for the truth, and nothing will deter him from that quest.
And for those that are wondering when this second novel will be available for sale, I expect to send it to the editors by this month's end. That means we might still make the March 31st publication date.
